M2Tech ready Young DSD DAC/pre-amplifier

Italy’s M2Tech have been talking about an update to their Young DAC for what feels like forever but a formal press release this week indicates that it’s finally coming to market.

To the original Young design, M2Tech have added three new features: balanced outputs, DSD compatibility and pre-amplifier functionality.

M2Tech have gone clever-clever in helping you keep the Young pre’s output voltage better matched to your power amplifier’s input sensitivity. They’ve implemented switchable doubling/halving of output voltages for both single-ended and balanced outputs:

2.7Vrms (single-ended with adaptors, normal”)

5.4Vrms (single-ended with adaptors, “high”)

5.4Vrms (balanced, “normal”)

10.8Vrms (balanced, “high”)

Both the supplied remote control and front-fascia-mounted pot allow for volume attenuation from 0dB to -96dB in 0.5dB steps. The remote also packs HID for full control of your software player.

The predecessor’s array of digital inputs still feature: asynchronous USB, S/PDIF RCA, S/PDIF BNC and AES/EBU, each of which deal PCM up to 24bit/384kHz, DSD64 and DSD128 (making it fully trend compliant). The USB input extends PCM bit depth capability to 32.

You can find more information on the Young DSD DAC/pre over at the M2Tech website but this YouTube video shot at Greece’s Hxos Eikona also provides a solid overview. (Note the horrendously bland hifi show music playing in the background).

It also looks like M2Tech have side-stepped the driver migraine of previous models by making this new Young fully UAC 2.0 compliant. That means it’s plug n play on OS X Mavericks!

Alas, no word yet on pricing. Frustrating. This new Young’un will sell for €1250.

First, thanks for all that you do for audio. If you are even near Philadelphia, please feel free to get in touch.

I hate to be a negativo, but m2tech has been treating some of their first and most loyal customers with disrespect. They are putting out hardware, but have not taken care of their driver problem. Yes, that problem. The biface 1 driver is not compatible with the latest Mac OS – Mavericks. The company has said that they understand the problem and are working on it.

Well, they are working on it and I am writing about it.

When they finish work on this legacy product, I hope that they will reward their customers’ patience by writing a driver that works in the direct mode, as well as with Mavericks.